THE LIFE OF PAUL FARMER
(1959-2022)
World-renowned infectious disease doctor, anthropologist, and global health visionary
REMEMBERING OUR BELOVED PAUL
We invite you to join the global Partners In Health team and Paul’s closest friends, family, and partners one year after his passing for a special virtual event. Together, we will remember Paul’s remarkable life and reflect on the outsized impact Paul had on each of us—and on the world.
ABOUT DR. PAUL FARMER
Paul Farmer, M.D., Ph.D., was Kolokotrones University Professor and chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, co-founder and chief strategist of Partners in Health, and chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda.
Paul and his colleagues pioneered novel, community-based treatment strategies that demonstrate the delivery of high-quality health care in resource-poor settings. He wrote extensively on health, human rights, and the consequences of social inequality. Paul was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, from which he was the recipient of the 2018 Public Welfare Medal.
He authored multiple books, including: In the Company of the Poor: Conversations with Dr. Paul Farmer and Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, Reimagining Global Health: An Introduction, and To Repair the World: Paul Farmer Speaks to the Next Generation. His most recent book was released in November 2020: Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History.
PAUL'S WORK
Over more than three decades, Paul dedicated his time and talent to furthering the field of global health and ensuring the right to health for all. Through his words and actions, he left behind countless lessons that continue to guide us today.
Top 10 Books Written by Dr. Paul Farmer
Not only was Paul an expert doctor and history-making humanitarian. He was also a prolific researcher and writer, using his medical and anthropological training, plus his proximity to the poor, to author books throughout his career about health, history, and human rights.
We’ve compiled a list of some of his most powerful works. Though spanning time and set oceans apart, these books represent one way in which Paul will continue to teach generations to come, and assert his—and our—guiding belief: that it’s possible to change the world and cure injustice.
Journey with Partners In Health
It was well-known that Paul was happiest at PIH sites when he was sitting at a patient’s bedside, rounding with medical residents, and sharing his worldview with others—be they supporters, undergraduates, or global leaders.
Accompany Paul through the years, from when he first started traveling to Haiti in the early 1980s, to his final days in Butaro, Rwanda.
Inspiring Quotes
We are guided and grounded by Paul’s words—tender and powerful, simple and profound.
We’ve pulled together five quotes that offer just a glimpse into the wealth of knowledge and insights he shared with all of us, captured in books, speeches, and conversations throughout his life.
2022 MEMORIAL SERVICE
Watch: Dr. Paul Farmer’s Memorial Service
Partners In Health honoured the life and legacy of Dr. Paul Farmer in a memorial service in Boston on March 12, 2022, alongside friends and family of the late PIH co-founder and leaders in the global health community.
Eulogies were delivered by PIH Co-founder Dr. Jim Kim; Catherine Farmer, Paul’s oldest daughter; Dr. Anthony Fauci, a friend and chief medical advisor to president Joseph Biden; and PIH Co-founder Ophelia Dahl, who remembered Paul’s fierce love and compassion, visionary leadership, and relentless humour.
Hundreds also gathered around the world, from Rwanda to Peru, to pay homage to his life and legacy in the week’s following his passing.
REFLECTIONS ON PAUL
These reflections show how Paul’s commitment to justice and dignity shaped each of our lives and saved millions more. If you would like to offer a short tribute or reflection, you can post it on social with #PaulFarmer or submit online.
